Joy

Did you know?

A few things about Joy you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Joy

Joy Behar

American comedian, television host, actress and writer

Choose Joy and your child shares a first name with Joy Behar, an American comedian, television host, actress and writer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Joy, like who?” Joy Behar's Wikipedia article is available in 26 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Joy Behar on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,151 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Joy, 747 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Joy would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJoy first shows up in US birth records in 1883, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 142 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1974, when it ranked #109. Today it's #419, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendJoy has slipped 24 places over the last five years and now sits at #419. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedJoy is most popular in Maine, where it ranks #176, followed by Nevada (#264) and Maryland (#283). It's in the top 1,000 in 34 states.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Joy means “joy”. Our records link it to English, French and Latin roots.

About the name Joy

Joy is a girl name of English, French and Latin origin meaning “joy”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with J and ending in “-joy”. US birth records list Joy for girls from 1885 to 2025, in 141 of those 141 years. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked #109 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #419, with 747 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench namesLatin names